Since man first began to settle on the shores of bodies of water and realized that such shores were eroding, efforts have been made to either slow down, stop or reverse the process. Jetties or groins extending out into the body of water have been built since ancient times to control the effects of tides and currents.
With the recent influx of people to coastal areas and the resulting great increase in the land values in such areas, erosion control and shoreline refurbishing has become an increasingly important subject. This is particularly true when coupled with the environmental issues raised by the construction of jetties, groins and sea walls as well as the large scale pumping of sand in attempts to refurbish and maintain beaches.